The Imperialists are going in for the coins!

It was a test game of some sort, I wanted to test new rules (I shall call them "Paymaster" for now), and thankfully Bart and Campbell chimed in and soon Donald and Tim followed, revigourating our Pike&Shotte skills. The set up was simple, two little armies with two pike blocks and some horse and ordonnance – boom! Tim served under Bart the "French" Marishall, and Campbell signed in for cash to aid the "German" Loctenent Donald.

I read lately some Landsknechts stories and ALL they were thinking and breathing was money! I wanted to include this onto the table top somehow. Paymaster gives every army/unit some cash relating to their unit points (latent, just on the lists). On top of that the Chiefs have some additional cash they can   "bribe" any unit that is near enough, AND has to test morale (and of course a "line of units" to the main camp/where the cash is, needs to be established). But if you bribe too high, the beaten mercenaries just simply go home with their cash – long live the plunder). Its as simple as that, its puts the money onto the table and makes it a strategic issue.

Donald started the war, with a stout cavalry attack, all out, onto the feared French gendarmes. Tim had orders simply not to move, hrm-hrm. After some clashes and counter charges, the french gendarmes and their allies were finally beaten. The Swiss pike were the only one who were able to halt the Imperial storm. Bart consolidated with some men-at-arms to help Tims flank.

Then Campbell closed in on the other flank ready for the kill. Again after some horse and counter tactics – the inevitable happened, the Swiss got charged by the Landsknechts, and the oh-so bad war! (useful rule P&S), made sure that it was a massacre. After that the French grabbed what they could get and fled, leaving about 160 crowns to the victorious Landsknechte.

(3 possibilities were there to actually "bribe" some beaten units, but the other factors weren‘t met – so more testing to follow, watch this space).

I have to thank all involved, and we surely get in for the cash and the clash again soon!

More images and a precise battle rap also on Barts blog:
http://asienieboje.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/paymaster-gametest-paymaster-gra-testowa.html#comment-form

the Imperial army list

The French army list

The Imperial Knights

The Cavalry wings are clashing into each other

The French Gendarmes d‘Ordonnance getting surrounded

 the Swiss block saves the failing flank

The German Landsknechte advancing

The French General issues orders hectically

but Campbell is aiming for the other Swiss block

The French still waiting

reshuffle and reorganisation in the French camp

but then the Landsknechts charge into the Swiss – Bad War!

The Swiss disintegrate and the battle is over

Hey, they turned my salijuq riders into kebab!

We alla had a formidable evening playing a little crusader game with piquet rules (set up by Paul (the Irish)). Jim, Paul and Andrew, played the muslim/arab side. Me (the salijuq traitor) sided with the frankish cannibals (ref. Ma'arra) Jack and another SESWC member, Ian.

This was the first time I actually played piquet rules AND we were following some sort of tactic (oblique order in this case).

An tremendous applause to Jims arabian figures (Perry mix plus other manufacturers) which were impressively well painted. Which let us all tremble in anticipation on his French Gen d‘Armes minis, IF he paints them and shows up in time that is... Aaand of course the fabulously painted crusader minis from Jack (we didn't expect anything less, of course).

Deus ne vult, so the battle started slowly, my whirlwind  formations of light cavalry been swept away, the rest of the army made slow progress.
Then my medium salijuqs blocked the arab ghulams (due to Jims infidel dice rolling)!
But also the brute franks on the right wing didn‘t make the progress we prayed for, so it ended in a draw kind of, if we had only one turn more ...

For a more detailed battle rap, please visit Jacks blog:
http://pioneerpainting.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/crusade-piquet.html

The battle lines close in

My left wing of salijuqs gets beaten...

... the Jims heavy cavalry closes in ...

... but that‘s it. haha!

The right wing of the franks, to slow and cumbersome...

... that they get counter charged.

... but they can fight for ten those franks!

Gods hand is pointing to the direction to advance! 

After that the infidels are demoralised

Finally the Muslim heavy cavalry cannot beat Muslim Cavalry!

Intermezzo! ... Zulus ...Crusader ... and then Renaissance again...

First I have to apologise (?) for not posting the fantasy GW game ... as it never happened, because I was still down with some sort of chest infection I had acquired in the after math of my wedding (why not, why not, one lives just once they say) and too weakened to carry lead.

So last Thursday I was kindly invited to an 15mm Zulu War game in Black Powder (according to the rule optimisations of Bill Gillchrist), which was a thoroughly joyous first for me.

I was given command of the Naval Brigades artillery and gatling gun (and some sort of mounted rifled troops) and due to a non-jamming gatling, I managed to wipe out 6 units (60% I believe of the whole contingency of the Zulus) to the very demise of Campbell who was in turn questioning the futility of colonial warfare scenarios ... but lets not go there.  (A more precise battle rap you can find on Barts blog asienieboje )

Next Thursday I‘m hoping to attend to a Pique Crusader game organised by Paul (the Irish) and with some toys from Jack and Jim.

Also Thursday in two weeks time, I want to test Pike & Shotte (early Italian Wars scenario, Imperialists against French), with a little rule addition to make the renaissance battle a bit more "mercenary"... as  its a test game we‘ll see if it works or how the players (so far Bart and Campbell volunteered as guinea pigs) respond to.

and yes before I forget ...

Claymore 2014!!!

Scotland’s premier wargames show, Claymore 2014, will be held on Saturday 2nd August, 2014, at the Granton Campus of Edinburgh College, 350 West Granton Road, Edinburgh EH5 1QE. Doors will open to the public at 10.00am till 4:30pm. Cost: Adult £2.50, Child £1.50, Family £5.00 (2 Adult + 2 children).

Features 30 Demonstration and Participation Games, 40 Tradestands and the classic B&B.

See the SESWC website for more details of the traders, displays and facilities:

http://seswc.co.uk/2014/06/claymore-2014/